by Winepisser | Apr 23, 2022 | Full Article
As some of you may know, I typically publish my initial review reactions to a wine on the Vivino app. Then I hone them a bit before porting them over here to Winepisser. Well, Vivino just upgraded their rating system to allow for more incremental ratings. Whereas you...
by Winepisser | Apr 23, 2022 | Quick Review
Clearly a fan of The Postmarks. I used to be a bigger fan of Malbec before I moved to Peru and got drowned by the stuff. This bottle (as well as this French one) reminded me of why I used to love the grape. Nose is cherry and olive with a hint of smoke. On the tongue...
by Winepisser | Apr 6, 2022 | Quick Review
Albino elephant is the most beautiful of the herd. Color is super pale, nearly white, but don’t let that fool you. Nose is honey, once guzzled it is more honey, green apple, slate. Lots of bright fizz hides the sugar, which is just right. Unlike some other Mosel...
by Winepisser | Apr 3, 2022 | Quick Review
November spawned a monster. Nose has earth, soil, bell pepper and eucalyptus. Flavor notes include basement must, black cherry. Super smooth tannins shows just how France does Malbec as compared to California cousins of the same age. Witchcraft maybe? This is a...
by Winepisser | Apr 2, 2022 | Quick Review
An art gallery in a glass. So-so red from Douro. Color is to die for, and car manufacturers wish they could replicate this deep purple. Otherwise, it’s standard red fare, some notes of black cherry and dark fruit, but a bit over tannic and bracing. But did I...
by Winepisser | Mar 15, 2022 | Quick Review
Yes, you can have fun at a chess club. Proof that dry Riesling doesn’t mean boring. Green apple dominates here, with some light fizzy bubbles to add fun. Loosen rarely fails to do reez right, and this is no exception. Pairs very well with even your spiciest fish...
by Winepisser | Mar 12, 2022 | Quick Review
Out of the bottle, this was a somewhat tasteless cab, but giving it 10+ minutes to sit in the glass improved it dramatically. Flavor notes include blackberry and smoke. Label says “aged in oak barrels” and it shows. Not as good as I expected, however, as...
by Winepisser | Mar 11, 2022 | Quick Review
A trip down memory lane, and just as blurry. Candy notes, like SweeTarts minus the sugar. Melon and grapefruit. I couldn’t find any oak, but did pick up some mild vanilla. Wasn’t served at ideal temperature (glass was a bit warm) but I think the review...
by Winepisser | Mar 10, 2022 | Quick Review
Upstarts don’t start, the old guys will finish you. The French can do little wrong with Sauvignon Blanc no matter how many New World countries try to unseat them. This is a fine Sancerre, but not the best of the breed. Nose is faint, maybe lemon if you can...
by Winepisser | Mar 7, 2022 | Quick Review
Minor league baller on the way up. Easy drinking but with 13% alcohol points to how mischievous those Alsatians can be. Nose is faint apple, tongue is a bit stronger of the same, but very, very subtle. Some slight citric tang, but only barely. Medium sugar. Very...
by Winepisser | Mar 6, 2022 | Quick Review
That new politician has great oratory, but needs more time on the stump. Rich but still not as soft as it will be someday. Nose has some earth and leather, and palate is black cherry and slight wood. Reliable example of Graves region of Bordeaux. The grapes are Merlot...
by Winepisser | Mar 4, 2022 | Quick Review
Unpopular kid proves capable after all. Spanish blend of Chardonnay and Albarino, and is very nice overall. Low reviews elsewhere had lowered my expectations, so I was happily surprised. Main flavor notes here are mild (very mild) lemon, and some spiced apple. The...
by Winepisser | Mar 3, 2022 | Quick Review
Subtle philosopher makes a point after all. Pleasant if quaint. Nose is nearly absent, and tongue notes are elusive. Licorice dominates, with blackcurrant close behind. But it’s all very, very subtle. This wine might shine with the right pairing, but easily wilt...
by Winepisser | Mar 2, 2022 | Quick Review
Youngest child can’t beat his older brother. Whereas I gave the 2015 a full four stars, this one just skirts beneath that, for a 3.8. Nose is just as powerful as the earlier vintage, but fruit notes on the palate fade quickly under some uneven tannins and acid....
by Winepisser | Mar 1, 2022 | Quick Review
You like heavy metal, and got invited to a jazz concert. Not the usual buttery mess that passes for Calichards, but tilted more to the citrus side. Lemon dominates but is smoothed out by slight oak. Some lychee in there, too. Still not a fan of chardonnay from this...
by Winepisser | Feb 22, 2022 | Quick Review
A new chess player beats his opponents with moves that even the masters hadn’t seen before. Another fantastic offering from Argentina’s Andaluna. Nose is super subtle, with only the only slightest hints of black fruit and spice. On the tongue it’s...
by Winepisser | Feb 22, 2022 | Quick Review
Love letter got misdelivered but wound up launching a whirlwind affair anyway. Very nice new world essbie that shows how far Argentina has come with this grape; you’re on notice, Chile! Nose is what you’d expect from a New Zealand offering, with notes of...
by Winepisser | Feb 13, 2022 | Quick Review
That mysterious stranger who caught your eye on the train suddenly farted, ruining the moment. This one is a weird blend of four hundred different grapes, or at least it seems that way reading the label. Apparently, it’s Grenache, Syrah, Marsanne, Carignan,...
by Winepisser | Feb 10, 2022 | Quick Review
Gene splicers ignored all ethics and created a living Venus de Milo. Nose is horse stable and earth, with musty, burned oak. The palate is potent blackberry, tannins smooth as velvet. Rich, dense, luxurious. Tannat dominates but merlot adds smoothness, and tempranillo...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
This baby’s diaper was just changed, apparently, because he’s dry. Nose is very faint, disappearing quickly after pouring. Notes of grape jam maybe? Once swigged, the jamminess resurfaces but this grapey flavor is not accompanied by sugar. Might have...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
That politician’s autobiography was exactly how you expected, and not a bit better. Middling Sauvignon blanc that hits the usual notes of lemon and citrus but without much else. Faint nose and short finish make this forgettable, but it’s not all bad if you...
by Winepisser | Feb 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Holy chocolate-covered cherries, Batman! Musty nose prophesies flavors of black cherry, chocolate earthy goodness. Medium silky, moderate finish. Powerful flavors dominated above steak and ribs plate. The blend is primarily Malbec, spiked with 15% Bonarda and 6%...
by Winepisser | Jan 29, 2022 | Full Article
I like to remind people that I’m a wine slob, not a wine snob. A street-level wine thug, as the saying goes. I mean, hell, the site’s called Winepisser, for heaven’s sake. So don’t hold this next one against me, but I will take credit for...
by Winepisser | Jan 29, 2022 | Quick Review
Pop-art but not pop-tart. Notes of cinnamon, honey and slate on the nose. Flavors are spiced apple, more slate and honey. Despite the honey notes, this is very not sweet. Slight fizz adds some fun, but not the best Mosel reez I’ve had. Finish is over-tart and...
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2022 | Quick Review
That briefcase was on sale, but it should impress the folks on the commuter train. This is a color-by-numbers Rhone red blend. Entirely serviceable and will pair with nearly any red meat you throw at it, but also nothing particularly memorable. Nose is wimpy, but...
